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Archive: DREAM Act(215 images)

Ismael Cervantes fled to the United States at the age of 12 following the suicide of his father and the murder of his older brother by his soon-to-be stepfather. He passed into the county with legal travel documents, although the immigration official manning the crossing failed to stamp his Visa, presumably because the driver, his uncle, was a lawful permanent resident of the United States....more »

Ismael Cervantes fled to the United States at the age of 12 following the suicide of his father and the murder of his older brother by his soon-to-be stepfather. He passed into the county with legal travel documents, although the immigration official manning the crossing failed to stamp his Visa, presumably because the driver, his uncle, was a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Years later, this minor oversight would land Cervantes in deportation proceedings, threatening to break apart the life and family he has built in the United States...After entering the United State, Cervantes moved to Compton, California where he lived with his siblings and extended family. There, he taught himself English and excelled in school. After one of his brothers secured a job in Colorado, the family followed. Ismael attended high school, continued to excel in academics, and anticipated legalizing his status and attending college. He married his high school girlfriend, Tracy, a pre-med student, shortly after graduation. The couple hired a lawyer and went through the steps to legalize Ismael's status as a permanent resident following his marriage to a citizen only to find out that the border guard's failure to stamp his visa was sufficient grounds to enter Ismael into deportation proceedings...Without change to the immigration system, Cervantes will likely be deported following his final hearing next year, leaving behind his wife and his younger sister, who the couple supports. ..Passage of the DREAM Act would solve Cervantes immigration woes, allowing him to legalize his status because, regardless of the clerical error in his passport, he was a minor when he entered the United States. It would also allow him the opportunity to attend college.« less